missouri governor, the president of the american automotive diplomacy council to talk about the current state of the u.s. auto industry. "washington journal" is next. >> violence is a big problem. too many children are dying. too many children. we must do something. it will be hard, but the time is now. you must act. >> ♪ host: that was part of the opening statement yesterday from former representative gabrielle giffords in the first in a series of gun control

hearings by the senate judiciary committee. this morning, as we go through the papers, we want to hear from you. your views on guns in america, whether they have changed since the newtown, connecticut, shootings? 202 is the area code. you can also contact us via social media. you can leave comments at twitter. continue the conversation on facebook. and send us an e-mail. of thethe front page washington times this morning -- in the center is the president of the national rifle association and wayne lapierre

on your right. in the york post this morning is a juxtaposed -- are these juxtaposed photographs. wayne lapierre and gabrielle giffords shown. and in the new york daily news, the same photographs. on our facebook page, lots of comments already on this issue. honey says --

those are some of the comments on our facebook page, where there is also a poll on whether your views on gun control and changed since the newtown shootings. executive vice president of the eight nra wayne lapierre at yesterday's. [video clip] >> it's an honor to be here on behalf of 4.5 million moms, dads, sons, daughters in every

state across our nation who make up the national rifle association of america. there are 4.5 million active members of the nra. they are joined by tens of millions of supporters throughout the country. it is on behalf of those millions of decent, hard- working, law-abiding citizens that i am here today to give voice to their concerns. the title of today's hearing is "what should america do about gun violence?" we believe the answer is to be honest about what works and honest about what does not work. teaching safe and responsible gun ownership works. the nra has a long and proud history of doing exactly that. our child safety program has taught 25 million young children that if they see a gun, they should do four things. stop, don't touch, the area, call an adult. as a result of this and other private-sector programs, fatal firearms accidents are at the

lowest level in 100 years. the nra has over 80,000 certified instructors to teach our military personnel, law enforcement officers, and hundreds of thousands of other american men and women how to safely use firearms. we do more and spend more than anyone else on teaching a safe and responsible gun ownership. host: from "politico" --

and in "usa today" -- so there was a hearing yesterday as well in newtown, connecticut.

bob in romney, west virginia, on our independent line. have your views changed? caller: not really. i believe there are more people killed by automobiles than buy guns. it's people that kill people, not guns. common sense tells you that. host: roseanne is in san diego, california, democrat. caller: no, my views have not changed. i'm so proud of gabrielle giffords. it was inspiring and really sad to see what happened to her because of somebody else is go -- but else's gun. i hope this congress will have the courage to stand up for what is right. people do have a right to their guns, that's for sure. if i don't know why they would need a 100-round magazine. but the rest of us have a right to live.

somewhere in there, both of those have to come together. i just hope congress will do something substantial for the rest of us. thank you. host: bill in wichita, kansas, republican. caller: no, they have not changed really. lifetime nra member. i gave in a little bit on the background check. most of my friends don't agree with me, but i think they need to do something there. i'm not sure what the answer is. but this has gotten out of hand. we had an incident where i live two day ago. threee teenagers, 14, 15, and 16, kicks in the door and murdered a guy babysitting his sister's twin babies. these are babies killing babies. them kids were not even old

enough to buy ammunition. it most likely will turn out to be a stolen gun. like the other guy said, it's not the gun, it's the people. i have a 14- -- the idea of a 14-year-old having a gun, something has gone haywire. host: you say you are a lifetime member of the nra. what do you think of wayne lapierre and his leadership? caller: number one, in my opinion. the only thing where i am wavering right now, i went to a gun show a couple weeks ago, not to purchase a gun, just to watch people. it was a one-hour rout wait just to get in. once i got inside, i walked around. i saw people that, in my opinion, and maybe i'm being judgmental, but they should not be able to go up and buy a gun

from an individual and walk out of that show with a gun. whether it's a pistol, a rifle, shotgun. so i am wavering on that. i don't know what the answer is to that. host: what made you judged those people that were buying the guns? caller: their dress code. i would not allow my three kids to address the way they were dressed. i'm a little old-fashioned. the person that i saw trying to make a deal to buy a gun, he did not buy it because the guy would not sell it to him for what he wanted for it. he probably found a gun that he needed. obviously, he was not a hunter. i guess i may be being judgmental. host: that was bill in wichita.

washington times editorial this morning --

they won in the legislative battle that's the washington times this morning. on the front page of the baltimore sun, the lead story is the baltimore county police chief james johnson, the chief calling for stricter gun laws. a new senator from texas, ted cruz, is on the judiciary committee. he referred to baltimore in one of his statement. [video clip] >> those urban centers that have the strictest gun bans, for example chicago, unfortunately suffers from 15.9 murders per 100,000 citizens, according to statistics. if your city of baltimore has 31.3 murders per 100,000 t

citizens. contrasts with my hometown of houston which does not have strict gun-control laws like the jurisdictions i was talking about, then as a murder rate of 9.2 per 100,000 of citizens. our capital of austin as a murder rate of 3.5, 1/10 that of baltimore. in light of the evidence, what empirical data supports your contention that restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens to possess firearms would decrease crime rather than making them more vulnerable to be assaulted by violent criminals, which i would suggest has happened? >> we know that 2 million predicted purchasers were stopped from obtaining firearms -- prohibited purchasers. from 1994 through 2009.

senator, your homicide statistics would be much greater -- often missed from this conversation is the medical intervention that takes place today at the emt level in appeal to the shock trauma centers that are very robust today, the statistics would be much higher. host: a tweet -- rick in louisville, ohio, independent. what are your views on gun control and have they changed? caller: we have the people that are killing these people and we

have the actual guns. they both lead us back to ronald reagan and his conservatism. ronald reagan did not like the middle-class or union jobs. what happened in the past 30 years, the family has dissolved. kids are now being influenced by outside sources, the media, hollywood, or whatever. this is how these kids involved. but the guns go back to ronald reagan and the conservatives needed a base. to build their base, they had to go to racism. when reagan went to philadelphia, mississippi, part of the base of the republican party is done. we're talking about immigration, that's how he got elected. when you look at the base of the republican party and you look at the nra, it evolved into this.

the only conversation we're having right now because of 20 dead white kids in connecticut. in every gunshot wound in costs $20,000. there's 20,000 or 30,000 black kids killed in the inner city because the widest people in this country are being manipulated by the radical white ring -- right-wing to vote for them. host: we will move on to an gayle king in louisiana, a democrat. what are your views on gun control and. -- moving on to gylayle in louisiana. caller: i'm actually in houston, texas. host: i apologize. tell us your views on gun control and whether they have changed. caller: no, my views have not changed. as long as people like wayne lapierre, the republicans and

democrats afraid to lose their office, men, women, boys, girls, as long as there's money involved, it will never change. thank you. host: smitty is in farmington, new mexico on our republican line. caller: thank you. that person who was talking about ronald reagan and guns, he was off the wall. host: why don't you tell us your views on gun control? caller: my views have not changed. i think people need to be able to defend themselves. the woman with the two kids who had an intruder with a crowbar after her, ask her whether she thinks people ought to have guns. she shot the guy five times and he was still coming. he probably needed an automatic

with about nine shots. the whole intent of the leftwingers in washington is to register guns, if they can get everybody to have to report where they buy them. supposedly, they were erasing that stuff after they did. anybody who believes that, give me a break. if you think the government can control guns, how have they been doing with drugs over the last 50 years? host: are you a gun owner? caller: i would not say yes or no on the air, because there are people listening. i guess i am a little paranoid. it is nonsense. the first step is taking every by his guns away from them, to get them all registered. that way they know where they are and they can, get them. they've been doing best 50 to 100 years. it would like to turn this country into a socialist country.

just a look at fabian socialism. host: this is rob, an independent in michigan. good morning. caller: good morning. wakeup, america. this is not something we can look to our country to help us with. it comes from an home -- at home, that's where it starts. where's our national guard in these schools? host: you would support national guard in the schools? caller: surprise visits were not hurt. host: robert, are you a gun owner? caller: i don't think it matters. host: jimmy says --

those are more of our facebook comments. you can take the poll on our facebook page or you can continue the conversation that's going on right now on that page. dana milbank's column in the washington post --

that is this morning in the washington post. edward from miami on the independent line. good morning. what are your views on gun laws and have they changed since newtown? caller: yes, thanks for taking my call. as far as what happened in connecticut, i am sick that these children could be gunned down like this. and the pro-gun lobbyists still not changed their stance. it is disgusting.

we need strict gun-control. we need the same control that we have on our cars. we need to have been registered and insured and we need to do that now. host: antonio in anaheim, democrat. caller: good morning. i feel we should take the votes to the people. the republicans are not for the big government and everything. let's take the assault weapons ban to the people and let them vote on it. if they say we don't want the government to tell us what to do. and let the nra to the same thing, let's take the vote to the people. host: how do you think they would vote? caller: the polls say that people are for gun-control and an assault weapons ban. so the republicans to listen to the people.

the same thing will happen to them in 2016. the republican party will end up disappearing. host: thanks for calling. the lead editorial this morning in the new york times --

in other news come from "politico" -- a new poll.

scott brown leading ed markey slightly. brown entered the massachusetts special election with a slight lead over the democratic establishment candidate according to a poll released wednesday by a democratic firm. next call on whether or not your views have changed on gun- control comes from rick in idaho on the republican line. good morning. caller: good morning. i'm a retired gunner from the u.s. marine corps. i have a simple solution appeared this is what leadership has to say. by executive order of the president of united states, when a criminal commits such a crime as children being slaughtered, those criminals need to be put in the gas chamber within 30 calendar days

of their conviction. we nee to start treating murderers like murderers and quit changing the gun-control laws. w 98% of. ho are in compliance with -- 98% of americans are in compliance with gun-control laws. so you put the person in the gas chamber within 30 days. there's the answer. we need good leadership and the white house such as john mccain for president. we would not have these problems. put the murderers in the gas chamber. there's your answer. have a great day. host: a tweet --

the chairman of the judiciary committee in the senator patrick leahy. here's a little bit of him from yesterday. [video clip] >> let's make it easier. talk about gun shows. should we have mandatory background checks at gun shows for the sale of weapons? >> if you are diller, that is already the law. >> that's not my question. please, i'm not trying to place questions, mr. lapierre. >> senator, i do not believe the way the law is working now, unfortunately, that it does any good to extend a lot to private sales between hobbyists and collectors. >> so you don't support mandatory background checks at the gun shows? >> we do not, because the fact is the law right now is a failure of the way it's working. you have 76,000 people that have been denied under the present law.

only 44 were prosecuted. you are letting them go. they're walking the streets. >> in 1999 you said no poles anywhere for anyone. but now you do not support background checks for all buyers of firearms? -- news said no loopholes. >> this administration is not prosecuting the people they catch. 23 states are not even putting the mental rackets of those deemed mentally incompetent. in the incompetent it is assumed you don't prosecute and they try to buy guns, even if you catch them and let them walk away, you assume they will not get a gun. they are homicidal maniacs and they are mentally ill. we all know that homicidal maniacs, criminals and the insane don't abide by the law. >> with all due respect, that was not the question i asked,

nor did you answer. >> i think it is the answer host:, honestly from faceboo. >> xavier says -- you can go to facebook and continue that conversation and also take part in our poll there on whether your views unchanged on gun-control. from the washington post this morning, this picture taken from c-span2 of senator kerry giving despair will address. in the senate yesterday --

of course you can watch that full speech at c-span.org. newton wanted online anytime you want. now secretary of state hillary clinton -- john kerry.

massachusetts governor picks a former aide to phil john kerry's seat. his name is mo cowan, selected seat.mporarily fill the >> there is the new senator from massachusetts, mo cowan. and this article, obama's poll ratings by highest in four years.

in about a half-hour or so, we will switch topics. we will go to the washington auto show, the annual show being held at the washington convention center. you can see a live picture on the screen. we will be turning our attention to the automobile industry. that is in about a half-hour. we just wanted to let you know what is coming up. after that, we will be ending of the washington journal a little early today because former senator chuck hagel as his nomination hearing beginning at

9:30 a.m. eastern time by the senate armed services committee. we will be going live to that so you can see that full hearing as well. in jackson, michigan on our democrat line, gene. have your views changed since newtown? caller: yes, it has. we need national standardized background checks. here in michigan, you have to be better educated and have a cleaner background to get a real estate license or a liquor license or supplier license. those three licenses are much tougher to get than a concealed weapons permit. it just shows where some of the priorities are placed. and the supplier license, that is a license that you get from bull lottery commission -- the

lottery commission to put on a charity poker games. they want their lottery program to be squeaky clean, because that's a really tough license to get. is tony andxt missoni i florida on our independent line . good morning. caller: good morning. my primary feeling is that nobody has assigned the initial claim regarding your account. regarding newtown, connecticut. the mother knew that her son was unbalanced, get the guns were not locked up out of his reach. it's always been my feeling that the primary responsibility for a gun owner is to make sure that those guns are kept under control. if she had done that, 20 kids

would never been killed and six adults. host: your conclusion -- caller: responsibility. most gun owners are responsible people. we know the danger of owning a firearm. host: have your views changed at all since newtown? caller: a national program to make sure that people cannot buy guns at gun shows may be an answer. but the criminals will still be able to get guns anytime they want to. there's no hold up for criminals to get firearms. all you and do is look at chicago. host: kansas is next, this is chuck on our republican line. caller: yes, my views and never changed on gun ownership and

firearms. host: what are your views? caller: the same as wayne lapierre's. the problem is -- i lived in california number of years -- a person that i know lived in california number of years and had his gun stolen a number of times. he moved to the midwest and felt he would be safe and got a gun safe and screwed it to the floor. this time they broke the deadbolt lock completely out of the floor. they stole the safe and everything. these guns -- another friend of mine came out here for years until his health that at, probably he was making a six- figure salary, the head of a multi state corp., retired now. i can imagine the kind of house

that he lived in. he had multiple layers of security and owned very expensive firearms. install his wife's jewelry and everything. the cops investigated and said it was a 15 minute operation from professionals. they said the guns are in chicago already. we need to do something about this criminal element. nothing is being done. mental illness, all these people doing the shootings are mentally ill. host: on twitter --

those are just some of the hundreds of tweets we are receiving this morning. senator hite aus of rhode island is another member of the judiciary committee. here is a bill of his statement -- senator whitehouse. [video clip]

>> you are a teacher in the classroom and you dedicate your life to that pursuit, but you have a? sidearm strapped a you better have it all the time. if you put it in your desk drawer or your purse or briefcase, where are you going to leave it? carrying this weapon on my side has been a pain all these years. i'm glad i have it. i need it. it is an awesome responsibility. what do you do in the summertime when you dress down? how will you safeguard the weapon from a classroom full of 6-year-old boys that want to touch it? i'm spending $200 apiece just for the holster. so you cannot ripped it from my side. these are all the factors. we all face catastrophic changes in our lives as we go throughout divorce and other things that bring us down. but you need people to step in like we have been police to noticed those things and deal with them. is is a major issue.

host: that was james johnson, the police chief for baltimore county, maryland. he was responding to a question that the senator asked him. in jamestown, north carolina, gill is a democrat. have your views changed? caller: good morning. i favor a more rigorous background checks. also, i favor more access in terms of mental health care. the comments regarding more cars are killing people than guns, we have laws against the titular homicide. tony car deaths are due drunk driving. -- we have laws against vehicular homicide. the other point i would like to make is in the second amendment. what we don't hear at all from

any of the news media or from the nra is the aspect of the second amendment that says the right to bear arms will be under the rubric of a well regulated militia. if anyone read the constitution, were organized in this country to quell slave rebellion. the reason we had them was to put down slave rebellion because black folks wanted to have their freedom and the other aspects of our society were scared about blacks gain their freedom. so i favor greater restrictions. i hope that our legislators and the supreme court both will have a meeting of reasonable minds to

stop this insanity. host: have your views changed since newtown? did you feel that way prior? caller: my views and not changed. host: eric in haymarket, virginia, independent. caller: my views have not changed at all. the fact of the matter is i am a retired marine. it is the responsibility of the individual gun owner -- period. host: and ? caller: what everybody is doing right now is decide skirting the issue. every incident we have had across this country where guns have been used, those people -- a responsible gun owner has

never been charged of doing mass violence. host: that is eric in haymarket. barbara is in missouri on the democratic line. caller: i would like to make a comment about the people keep saying criminals will always be able to get guns. if guns are only sold to a reasonable, law-abiding people, how are they getting transferred to criminals and mentally ill people? i think that nobody needs a gun that can kill tens of people in a minute. for the safety of all people, why not can't we agree that some guns should not be there and that all guns should be registered and that we should know who has a gun? host: thanks for calling. from the new york times --

he made a brief spot before being placed under house arrest at a halfway house. he is allowed to leave his home in illinois only for a resounding like a medical appointment until his sentence officially ends in july. outside the state, he is best known as the other governor from illinois who was convicted. his trial in 2006 has since been largely overshadowed by the fanfare surrounding his successor rod blagojevich, convicted of trying to sell the u.s. senate seat vacated by barack obama in 2008.

and this is in the new york post -- that article is in the new york times. on the front page of the wall street journal this morning --

it continues on the inside if you are interested in reading it for yourself. jason kidd in washington state, good morning -- jason. have your views on gun laws changed? caller: good morning. they have not. i watched the whole hearing. i was impressed by some of the arguments from both sides. what i liked the most was how the right-wingers stuck more to the facts. that's a huge thing that a lot of our society is not paying attention to in this whole debate. i am programs in the simple sense i want to be able to protect myself and my family. the senator from south carolina,

i was really impressed. he made it very cut and dry. [indiscernible] a 5 shot revolver with 15 shots. bad people are still going to be able to get these things. it's going to happen. the guns are out there already. i am a law-abiding citizens. but if i wanted to go out and pick up a gun, illegally, i guarantee i could do it. money talks when it comes to gangbangers. host: have you ever had to use or threaten to use your gun

because of the safety of your family? >> i have. i was a marine. outside the war, one time stateside, me and my girlfriend was sitting in the house. my little brother was with his girlfriend and there were being chased by five dudes in a ford pickup. they drove straight to our house and they all ran up to the door. i grabbed the shotgun. then the situation in the escalated immediately. i got a hold of the police. they came to talk to us and they did not find the guys. you read all kinds of articles about a lot of people who have saved their own lives or day

escalated situations just because there were able to defend themselves. i think it's important. a lot of people don't realize it. i don't agree with taking the right away from people. host: from "usa today" this morning --

here's the front page of the financial times this morning -- kevin in chattanooga, tennessee, independence. what are your talked about gun laws? have they changed? caller: they have not, really. it has stayed the same. i've been an owner for about 21 years. if gabby giffords were armed that day, would she have shot the man and saved all the lives and with the headlines have been different? that would've made a big difference. say if the guy that mark kelly talked about, he was a hair's

breadth from shooting an innocent person. the fact is the guy held both of those people on the ground, the assailant and the innocent person, and kept him from reloading the glock with another 33-round clip. did that make a difference? host: diane is in julian, california, democrat. caller: how are you? i did not hear your question? host: we have been asking have your views changed? caller: the question is, it has strengthened my views on gun control. we know that the president is traveling to minnesota today, where they do have. i do not know all the laws in minnesota. i do have relatives there.

the president's agenda is to strengthen the background checks, also, a ban on assault weapons, and improve the mental health care system. i have been in law enforcement many years. the men i have worked around, some have never had to use their service revolvers. we are in a different culture now, a different behavior, a different lifetime. i've been around where there have been gang members, hell's angels, you name it, we have it in california. the gangs are very big. when the people around the country say they're able to get a gun in probably five or 10 minutes, is a true statement. there are guns going across our borders every single day, illegal guns. we have great law enforcement that are working around the country.

the president did mention that he wants more law enforcement officers. i do concur with that. i think that needs to be something that is worked on in conjunction with the judiciary of voting in the senate. host: is a you are in law enforcement. in what capacity? caller: i was a dispatcher with the california highway patrol in the state of california. host: we have all learned california is one of the most highly regulated gun states in the nation. does that help? caller: i would have to say our men are trained and retrained. when i started in law enforcement in the 1970's, the men and women in the academy and then when they are out of the economy, the men and women are retrained on a monthly basis. they go to training. they go to the gun range.

they are marksman. we have men and women that never pulled a service revolver. there has to be -- we do have gun-control in california. i do believe it does help, it really does help. i commend our senators and our president. newtown is a tragedy, a travesty. i have a granddaughter and there are young children who are our relatives. it does not make a difference. it could be young or old. we had a gentleman -- or rather a murderer from orange county, riverside county rather, the law enforcement gathered together. they were very emboldened and the economy in san diego. it tooks swap teams probably

seven hours to get this man out. he had broken into a house and stole 30 guns, besides being a wanted murder. they did get him. i am proud of our men and women here in california. host: one more question. if the congress could do one thing, what would you like to see them do? caller: i would like to see that the system in law enforcement, like customs,ice, the police, all the computers are linked together so that these criminals are going across our borders, that they are caught. and more law enforcement for our states across the country, as the president has requested. don'td also say let's sidestep guarding the schools. until they pass this in the

senate or the house and it is a sign the bill, there could be other incidents around the country. we need to guard -- in fact, when my son went to school, we had an undercover police officers in plain clothes walking all. they did not necessarily have guns, but they were trained individual spirit host: we have to leave it there. we appreciate your time. we appreciate the everybody who participated in our conversation for this first hour. as i mentioned earlier, defense nominee chuck hagel will have his confirmation hearing by the senate armed services committee at 9:30 this morning. c-span will be going to that live, so it will be a shortened washington journal. that begins at 9:30 a.m. eastern time live on c-span and on c-

span.org. for the next hour, we want to turn our attention to the u.s. auto industry. the annual car show has left detroit and it is now at the washington convention center. our colleague pedro echevarria is at the convention center. host: you will find a mix of automakers' foreign and domestic. we are in the toyota section this morning. talking to us about issues concerning toyota is tom stri cker. his vice-president for technical and regulatory affairs and deals with energy and environmental research. how do you explain your job? it is a fantastic place to be. i'm at the intersection of public policy and advanced technology for environment and safety. if it is a fantastic deal to be in now. it is the wave of the future.

advanced vehicles, and advanced technologies. we work with the government on regulatory issues, collect a lot of information on the future of energy, where it's headed in the u.s. and globally. and we tried to use the information to help steer toyota's advanced development. guest: one of the high points is greenhouse gases and fuel economy for our vehicles. the auto industry has signed up for some fairly aggressive standards that will take us to the 2025 model year. they are aggressive standards. consumers will have to embrace the technologies we're trying to get out there. host: what does that really mean? guest: the target is 54 miles per hour by 2025.

we have a lot of work to do. our strategy is are hybrid strategy. toyota had 16% of our new vehicle fleet were hybrid vehicles. the industry itself is that 3%. we intend to maintain that leadership. host: that means you have to do with the future of what a car will look like when it comes to designs. guest: all of these issues affect nearly every aspect of a vehicle's design. the power train, the shape of the vehicle, the styling, the materials that go into the vehicle -- almost the entire

vehicle package is affected. host: we're sitting in a section with a loss of toyota trucks. how does hybrid technology affect truck usage and truck sales? guest: i am not sure there is a direct link. we want to meet the needs of every customer out there. we try to make the most fuel- efficient trucks that we can make. it is not an either/or. we try to meet the demands for customers. host: how much regulation comes from washington when it comes from your industry? guest: regulation has a role to play in pushing the industry

forward and doing what is right for the country in terms of the policy issues. it is a critical aspect of our business. it is an exciting space to be in. host: how often did you meet with members of congress? guest: very infrequently. it depends. it is fairly good and open communication. host: what other things do you concern yourself? guest: vehicle safety, vehicle safety technology. people think about passive safety, which is how the vehicle is designed to protect the

occupants in a crash. active safety is using advanced technologies to help avoid the accidents in the first place. things such as moving towards more autonomous driving and using cameras and radar. we showed an advance vehicle in las vegas. host: was that self-driving? guest: we think the evolution will require the driver to always be in control of the vehicle. attentivee an always copilot with the driver that can help in certain situations and can make adjustments and takeover certain controls of the vehicle. host: the government has a role as far as advising on how these

technologies work? guest: we do a lot of work with the department of transportation and other agencies. it is to a pretty good an open relationship on a lot of these issues. toyota is a great company. we have great products. we have something for everybody. toyota long term is 30 years. we're looking at energy and climate and other issues that are looking out 20 or 30 years. host: tom stricker joining us from the d.c. on a show in washington. host: we will be live with pedro throughout the morning. and is now is matt blunt,

president of teh american automotive policy council. he is a former governor of missouri or research for four years. is the american automotive policy council/ guest: a trade association for the three american auto companies headquartered in the united states. we focus on of our time on trade issues. the companies are free traders. we have endorsed every free trade agreement the country has. we insist upon a global playing field. our space is the -- the auto

sector is an export sector and that sustains a lot of job. $120 billion in the last 12 months and nearly a million vehicles from chrysler, ford, and gm. host: you represent the traditional big three. there are big employment and plants from japanese and german automakers. guest: the industry is important to the united states. about 8 million jobs in the automobile sector. there is a unique impact on that footprint. two out of three workers work for chrysler, ford, and general

motors. significantly higher than the transplants like toyota and others. we welcome the foreign direct investment when toyota or volkswagen invest in the united states. that is good for them because they get access for american workers. it will never match the impact that chrysler, ford, and java motogeneral motors will have ins country. we are focused in this marketplace. tremendous success for chrysler . they're driving the success of a chrysler and fiat. a company very focused on the american marketplace and american production here.

chrysler is a good example of the outsized impact these three american companies have on auto manufacturing. chrysler is a much smaller company than toyota. chrysler produces far more cars in the united states then toyota does. host: have they always been free traders? guest: i think so. we have production in some of those other markets. very focused on producing cars here and exporting those cars. this is the tip of the spear of the great renaissance in american manufacturing. if the united states will be a global power, we have to make things. it makes sense to make cars

given the magnitude of the supply chain and the scope of the supply chain. we're big buyers of steel and glass. it makes sense to focus on the auto sector. almost every country wants to have a vibrant auto sector. they have seen the transformation it has had on the american economy. host: what is your group headquartered in washington? guest: we work a lot with the administration and members of congress that are concerned about trade. we have been -- a belief the devaluation of the japanese yen, the manipulation of the yen.

has fallen by 14%. the u.s. companies went through a significant transformation. sometimes that was a painful restructuring so the companies could be a properly sized for the american marketplace. to make capital investments and hire new employees and produce world-class products. the japanese export about half the cars they produce in japan. that model can only work at the expense of other nations. other countries have noticed it as well. germany, russia are concerned

about the potential for a currency war. will talk to the treasury department about and people on the hill want to ensure we can compete on a level playing field. host: we will put the numbers on the screen. we want to hear your opinion. 202 is the area code. matt blunt, what action would you like to see the congress or administration take when it comes to currency issues? guest: to recognize this is a serious problem. japan is a strategic ally of the united states and a close friend. the yen manipulation is not inappropriate fiscal policy.

there are actions and many people have suggested the type of actions that people can take. there can be similar actions in the global securities markets. the first that is to recognize publicly this is a serious problem that affects american autoworkers. demand the japanese to take a different approach. host: when do you think chinese- made cars in the united states? guest: there are chinese parts today. we believe we can compete with any nation in the world. production is moving from other nations back to the united states because of the partnership that exists between the workers and american oil companies. -- american auto companies.

they are moving production back to america. we have to insist we have a level playing field in the global marketplace. host: we are live at the washington convention center at the on the sh auto show. that's the grand cherokee. guest: it is manufactured in the united states today. some is in ohio. some occurs in michigan. that is a great car. host: scott in michigan, please go ahead. hi, scott. caller: can you give me an idea about how many american made

ford, general motors, and chrysler vehicles are sold in japan every year? i think all the asian countries are protectionist. they come over here and sell their vehicles. i do not think they open their markets to our vehicles. i think they are protectionist. i do not think that is fair to the american workers. host: where is belmont, michigan? is your town involved in the auto industry? caller: about 8-10 miles out of grand rapids. guest: in market penetration of

less than 5%. is koreans, europeans. people have been successful in this marketplace and unable to sell cars in japan. kia has had explosive growth in the united states. they have done well here. they are unable to sell cars in japan. there are barriers and currency manipulation. there are barriers that keep that marketplace closed. we need to demand they open their market place on a variety of products, but certainly on automobiles.

the europeans have been successful here and are unable to sell cars in the japanese marketplace. this is a global problem and one the japanese government needs to address. just a few thousand cars that we are able to sell in japan on an annual basis. host: bill in florida. caller: good morning. i am concerned that the industry has not repaid the u.s. taxpayer bailout. i heard on the news they are taking their $8,500 bonuses. i think the taxpayer should be repaid first. guest: it was announced general motors was going to purchase a

portion of stock back from the united states government. that price is set by the current marketplace. general motors is anxious to be a private company with no u.s. government ownership. the companies today are different companies then the companies that require the assistance of american taxpayers. companies are vibrant and adding a employment and rewarding employees when they have successful years. the past calendar year was successful. host: when you hear the term government motors, what is your response? guest: it doesn't reflect where the company is today.

there has been explosive growth around the world and continued growth in the american marketplace. there are problems at general motors and have been addressed. they are part of a new company that is focused on private- sector growth and ensuring they reward employes a properly when they are successful. host: 47 states have more than 10,000 auto-related jobs. your home state of missouri -- what is the state of manufacturing? guest: it is very important to the economy. automotive plants in st. louis and kansas city areas.

they are of incredible importance to the local economy. saw the impact -- you saw the impact. ford and general motors are committed to missouri and a part of the new competitive companies they have created. you see it in the long supply chain. they are often the largest supply sector in the staid. the automotive supply jobs to chrysler and ford and general motors are extremely important. general motors, ford, and chrysler are about twice the domestic content of their foreign competitors. this to be true for general motors as well.

ford purchases more american parts and all of the japanese manufacturers combined. very important for states like missouri and kentucky. you can see states that infrastructure of automobile manufacturing. host: tall 0.7 million vehicles sold in the u.s. in 2011. 52% or trucks. the ford f series is the number- one seller. guest: it is a great tradition. ford continues to improve and to meet new requirements in safety while delivering the performance that consumers have grown to expect.

host: ralph is in illinois. caller: and aerodynamically smoothes to lower wind resistance in the forward direction. we should do the same in passenger cars as we do in race cars. also the website shows how fuel efficiency increases tenfold by -- the combustion chamber so what has 100% efficiency. it is exhaustive --\ host: where are you going? caller: we are oblivious to the obvious.

we need to lessen the aerodynamics underneath the car. we should use the excess heat from the engine. host: thank you. guest: a lot of technical detail. the companies are focused on the innovations that you are referencing, very committed to ambitious goals for 2025 in terms of fuel economy. very committed to the innovation you are talking about. the auto sector spends more on research and development then almost every other sector, just under pharmaceuticals. ford and gm spent more like

apple and global on research and development. very committed to enhancing their product to deliver the same performance for consumers. walk around the auto show and you will see lots of error dynamic product. -- it's of aerodynamic product. host: we're getting quite a few tweets about jeeps being built in china. what is the status of jeep and moving production to china? guest: there is no plans for u.s. production and for the other markets like the middle east and other asian markets to

china. they are exploring producing in china for the chinese marketplace. that is standard procedure from the days of henry ford. try to build the product near the consumers. we are big exporters, the leading export sector. the majority of our workforce is here in the united states. we are global companies producing. it does make sense to produce some vehicles in china. host: next call comes from texas. hi, tom. caller:how are you doing? when i have to say requires a lot of time.

because of our present downturn in the economy, i feel we need to turn the page somewhere. take what president eisenhower did in developing the state highway system. burying plastic capsules or plastic slots down the center of each lane 24 inches down which can be picked up on the bottom of each car. we to stop the chinese dominating the lithium battery technology so we can put lighter battery packs on these cars and have a reasonable range to get to the next major thoroughfare. what do you think of that?

guest: a lot of interesting ideas. i think you'll see a tremendous strides in terms of efficiency and battery technology in terms of size and cost. that is one of the barriers for hybrid electric vehicles. it is important to focus on the quality of batteries. try to bring the production back to the united states. there are a lot of challenges for the united states economy. quarter after quarter the auto sector is a bright stop -- spot where we see will growth. there have been some quarters for the auto sector was almost all of the economic growth in the country.

the auto sector is doing its part to move the country forward. host: what is your groups stand when it comes to gas mileage regulation? guest: we are happy about a number of things that have occurred from the new standards the obama administration put forward. it is won a national standard. -- it is one national standard. the obama administration did a good job of working with california and other stakeholders to have one national standard. we also like certainty and investments that are necessary to meet the new standards. hundreds of billions of dollars to meet teh 2025 objectors.

they are challenging numbers. the fuel economy standards are not set by what the car by what produce a lobut the american people buy. there is an opportunity to review where the american consumer is at in terms of the technology they like. they have a lot of choices today. do you want a six cylinder or in eight-cylinder engine? there is a lot of choices for consumers. it is important to take this seriously. host: we are talking to matt

blunt, president of the american automotive policy council. he is a former governor of missouri. at the convention center. you have been seeing a lot of pictures and video from there. these are live pictures we have been showing you throughout the series. our cameras are at the gm display there. top five models sold in the u.s. in 2012 according to the national automobile dealers association, first of all, the ford f series. the chevy silverado series. the toy webcam ray is the third largest selling model. the honda accord. then the -- the toyota camry is the third largest selling model. in the honda accord, then the

honda civic. according to matt blunt's group, crossovers have 25% of the market. what is a crossover? >> a crossover seeks to take some of the suv characteristics and apply it to a traditional vehicle platform. they have been extremely popular, and they will remain popular. americans like the space and convenience that suv's provide. the crossover allows you to have some of the benefits of a traditional vehicle -- better gas mileage and that sort of thing. >> 20% of the cars sold in 2011 were the so-called middle-range cars, while small cars made up 18.3%. large cars down to 1.9%, luxury cars, 7.8%. pickups were 14%. mike is in florida. please go ahead.

caller: good morning. i would like your opinion and your feelings about what happened in the automotive industry with the salary of retirees. when the company finally filed for bankruptcy, our pension fund was at almost 87%, and the day all the former retirees were transferred back under the gm on umbrella of their pension plan, it went to less than 66%. no one seems to know what happened to that money. there is speculation it was shifted over to the gm people to bump up the hourly pension fund. and there are tremendous rumors going on throughout our court case that tarp funds were used to shore up the funds that gm turned over to the unions operation and control.

so, frankly, we do not know what is true and what is not true. we are still working the case. we paid into that fund. i did for 37 years, and we had a gang out from underneath the spirit i want to hang up and listen to your reply. guest: on some of that, there is pending litigation, which makes it difficult to get too far into details. if you were to do will the american automotive policy council, there would be a way to contact us on that site, and wouldn't -- and we would be happy to get you concerns -- answers to the concerns you have raised. a number of members of congress are concerned and asking the same questions you are. everybody's objective is a fair outcome. i understand what you're saying, the concern about the status of the pension fund today. i want to ensure that you and others are treated fairly.

a lot of that happened in an older auto sector, different companies, a different management, but still you deserve answers. we will try to give you better details. host: a file clerk tweets in -- "i love my subaru outback. too bad it is not american." out at the convention center. good morning. >> the point is not to just show off cars but eventually sell cars. here to talk about cars in 2013, rebecca lindland, research director for ihs automotive. what are we looking for for 2013? guest: we are lower than many of our compatriots in the forecasting arena. we have real concerns about the continued uncertainty in

washington, and we also have real concerns about the further implication of fiscal budgetary issues. >> specify what happens in washington and what that means for a person going into a dealership and buying a car? guest: it really has a negative impact on consumer confidence, and there is a correlation between consumer confidence and people buying cars. if you are not confident in your pocketbook, you will not go out that weekend and buy a pickup truck. host: out of the jet -- how is the contraction translate as far as car sales are concerned? guest: we factor in the gdp. 2.7%. we are considering a very conservative forecast overall. our forecast is about 200,000 to 300,000 units less than other agencies, and that is because we are concerned about what is going on in washington. >> for those who make their way into a dealership, what are they

looking at? guest: the positive thing is there are new models out and there is financing available. there is availability now of credit, whether you are leasing or not. there are terrific new products coming out, and there are fuel- efficient products that do not compromise performance and design. it is really exciting to see some of the new transmissions coming out, and new 25, 30-mile per gallon that consumers will see. host: part of the conversation before we came to you was the report of the pickup truck being a popular seller. guest: it is really interesting. different parts of ihs look at the energy space. we are finding that where all of the development of shell and fracking are going on, pickup truck sales in really remote locations are exploding as these people come in for these jobs related to energy in the u.s.

is very exciting, but it also throws off the distribution channels because suddenly you are like, when, why does s.d. suddenly need 20,000 pickup trucks? there are terrific new pickup trucks coming from gm, later on this year, and of course the rams' 1500 for dodge. just one truck of the year. >> so for average families, there's a pickup truck in their future as well? guest: pickup trucks are expanding. they can hold four people, and it can be the perfect family vehicle these days. we are seeing improved economy in pickup trucks. host: what our dealers doing to capitalize that people are in the market for a car? is it more incentive for dealers? guest: if you have a new used car, so if you bought a car in 2009 or 2010, and are tired of it, that car is very valuable

because we do not have a lot of car sales from those years. we sold 10 million units, not a lot. so if you have a used car, you can bargain the heck out of that. host: how do you go for a decent price? guest: you have to do your research. you have to go on to pricing websites. they have it down to is a code now. there are tools on line that consumers can use to go in and be educated when they go into a dealership and bargain with them. host: what are you looking at, other than what we are talking about? guest: we are looking at the car-truck split. this in the u.s. has been typically 50% car and 50% truck. we are leaning more towards car as we bring in smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles and consumers want that type of vehicle. we are estimating about 52% car

for 2013, a little bit of a shift. host: when land, one more question. our electric vehicles starting to sell? guest: they are starting to sell. it is certainly something we are studying very closely. i think the biggest issue is just understanding the vehicle, getting consumers exposed to ev's an understanding where it may fit into their lifestyle. it is inappropriate for everyone, but there are products out there. host: this is rebecca lynn land from ihs automotive. guest: thank you. host: we are back live with matt blunt, president of the american automotive policy council. you used to build minivans in your home state of missouri. you say that factor is now down.

what kind of incentives can you offer to a company? was it important to you to maintain that? >> absolutely. there's not a governor in the country who does not want a new plan or to ensure that their plant stays in operation. obviously that plant has lots of good, high-paying, family supporting jobs, but then it ripples throughout the community. certainly what you think of in terms of parts suppliers, folks who work in the plants, maintenance, that sort of thing. there are school districts that are supportive, hospitals. there is a tremendous multiplier when you have an automotive plant. missouri state had a ford plant, and right across the line, a gm plant that will keep

it competitive in the local marketplace. extremely important. there is a reason that communities and governors in states and others want to automobile manufacturing, because it adds a tremendous amount to the local and state economy. host: was it one of those issues that as governor you stayed updated on? guest: absolutely. we would try to come up with new and innovative incentives for the manufacturers. they were fair, certainly had a return on investment ultimately for missouri taxpayers. but constantly focused on how we can help to sustain a plant, to encourage a new manufacturer, parts supplier to move into misery. host: when pedro was talking to rebecca lindland, a recent article in the "international herald tribune," will 2013 be

the year of the electric car? haven't we been asked this question for years? guest: i think you will see continued electric arc -- electronic innovation, particularly with hybrids. i do not think the all-electric vehicle is the future. americans have a lot of range anxiety, but certainly the hybrids are, indeed, for a lot of consumers, a great product that makes a lot of sense. we see that with the chevy volt, a tremendous vehicle, with growing sales on an annual basis. month-to-month it tends to have growing sales. for some people that makes sense, and i think with the technological innovation that you will see particularly with batteries, that will make that a more affordable product. we need a quicker return of investment terms of gas savings. host: do you think the federal

intent is gas savings, and is that important to consumers? guest: dealers can explain the tax credit that exists for consumers. it is important to keep a variety of options available for consumers. if we are going to meet the 2025 standards of 52.5 miles per gallon, it is going to take not just more hybrid vehicles, but it will also take continued improvement in the efficiency of the internal combustion engine, and companies are focused on that. when you walk around the auto show, they will have exhibits that show some of the things they're doing that make the traditional gasoline-powered engine even more efficient and increase gas mileage. host: next call from matt blunt, president of the american automotive policy council -- dug in syracuse, new york. caller: good morning. mr. blunt, i wonder if you could

explain to the american taxpayer and consumer why the taxpayer bailout should not be totally paid back by the government, to the government, by the big three auto makers. guest: you know, the government has an ownership stake in general motors today. they have worked with the government, a general motors and the government have come to an agreement about the repurchase of those shares. as the shares are repurchased at a price set by the marketplace, the governor -- the government will release ownership. the auto industry is a unique sector. president george w. bush is not naturally inclined to provide the sort of assistance he did to the auto sector, but he recognized how important it was to the american economy, in the unique supply chain it has. the supply chain is so significant that it would have been devastating to the american

economy to allow the auto sector to have ceased to exist. obviously president obama continued that work with the companies, really forced them to go through the restructuring that everybody said was necessary, republican or democrat. every american new the companies needed to change. they went through that restructuring, and today there are profitable companies invested in the united states that are hiring new workers, and really bright spot in sometimes what is more a dismal economy. host: a tweet -- kamahl "i think i would rather go to the dentist and a car dealer." next, ed calls. guest: good morning. i have a comment and question. i am 70 years old, retired from ford motor company. when i was growing up, it was "made in the usa."

now the common use is "buy american." i drive a 2011 fusion from mexico. does this just mean that the automobile companies are located and headquartered in the united states? guest: not at all. obviously a tremendous amount of pressure from ford, chrysler, and general motors occurs in the united states. they produce a lot of the vehicles they sell. if you were to look at those models coming out of mexico and canada in terms of final assembly, you would find that there is a generally high domestic content of parts from the united states. a lot of the research and development -- this is something that gets lost -- we spend more on research and development in the auto sector than any other sector except for

pharmaceuticals. a lot of that occurs in the united states. if you want to look at the total value of a car, a significant amount of it will occur in america. if it is a question of a ford or general motors products, regardless of where the final assembly is. living in michigan, there has been tremendous integration along the u.s.-canadian border in terms of auto production. that is important to us, keeps us competitive in the global economy. again, the car that is assembled in mexico will have a lot of u.s. content in terms of those parts. host: 1 in 17 jobs depends on autos, automotive payroll, and in 2012, about $500 billion. please go ahead with your question for matt blunt. caller: yes, i am calling because as patriotism for the

united states of america, if people want to fly the american flag, they should buy american vehicles. it is encouraging for everybody -- the more people buy american stuff, the more americans will buy american stuff and that will put the american economy back on track. it will be much better than fiscal cliffs and all the silly stuff they do. thank you. guest: obviously, representing ford, chrysler, and general motors, i will agree with those sentiments. you support jobs if you buy those products or other manufacturer's product, and you have -- having said that, all three of those american

companies recognize that they need to make world-class product that is competitive in the global marketplace. they are focused on doing that today. they are focused on quality and ensuring that people buy those cars -- that people who buy those cars are doing so because it is the best decision for their family. host: that mustang that you are looking at is built right in dearborn, michigan. see of tranquillity tweets in, "mr. blunt, do you think american automobile companies will expand and grow in other countries? how competitive are they in emerging markets?" guest: extremely. general motors is the largest american manufactured in china. given the opportunity, given the level of global playing field, we can be competitive in any market, and certainly emerging markets will be a source of

growth. south america is an example, brazil. good market for chrysler and general motors. we will see continued growth across the international markets. very competitive today in terms of cost structure, and certainly a world-class product that is competitive with anything else being produced anywhere. host: what is it about all those that we have a relationship with them more than any other product? guest: that is a great question. there obviously is a love affair between the american people and their cars. it reflects a lot of our innovation, our desire for freedom and mobility is all summed up, i think, in an automobile. it is part of the american fabric. that is why it is fun to work for these great american companies. host: in france, car sales are down, and there is a generation of people not buying cars.

guest: young purchasers do seem to have different attributes they are looking for in vehicles. chrysler, ford, and general motors are responding to that. people are -- young people are more concerned about technology in a car than they are engine performance. when i was a kid, people were focused on engine performance. less so today, but it is still important to work on the performance of the engine. host: word as the technology come in such as phones and computers and things that may distract drivers? guest: think everybody in the auto sector is focused on distracted driving. as we try to take these tools that have become part of every american's life and get them in a place where they can use them safely in a vehicle, we need to

do so in a way that does not distract the driver. that is a big challenge but an important challenge. the american public, by and large, they will take the phone in the car with them. the phone has become an extension of themselves, and what we can do in the auto sector is ensure that is done in a way that is safe, like voice recognition, technology, things that we're focused on every day. as you incorporate it into the fabric of the vehicle, it is safer than somebody trying to use a hand-held phone, for example. they are very committed to that. there are voluntary standards for all three american companies that they have agreed to. most lawmakers have agreed to as well. chrysler, ford, general motors, it is a rigorous process to comply with those voluntary standards, to minimize distractions. in terms of safety, crash avoidance, connecting cars to one another so we can be aware

of one another on the highway. a lot of exciting things going on in automotive safety today that is the reason we are seeing fewer and you're not just fatalities but fewer accidents involving passenger vehicles. at the same time, you have seen an explosion in technology in the vehicle and technology brought into the vehicle by the driver or passengers. host: jodi tweets in -- "harley- davidson bikes are the ultimate status symbol in japan." we go to the funds for a question or comment. caller: thank you for taking my call. i was a general motors bondholder, so i took a stake in the eye with that. now i'm going as a taxpayer, another stick in the eye when they still this -- when they sell this stock, what is really a loss, and general motors continues to make money off of me.

i also own right now four japanese vehicle -- one japanese motorcycle and three automobiles. two of the automobiles are over 13 years old, and i would hop in them today and head for california without any worry. american cars and transmissions have gone out in less than 60,000 miles per in my opinion of the u.s. auto industry is not very high. my question is, relative to the japanese, are they buying their own vehicles, in other words buying japanese, as opposed to buying american? or are they literally keeping the americans out of the market? guest: i think it is a combination. the japanese market is the most closed markets in the industrialized world. at about 95% of the cars purchased in japan are japanese vehicles. that is not natural, not something that occurs in other

marketplaces that are open to competition. it is certainly not the case in the united states, one of the most open and competitive markets in the world. they do so through a series of non-tariff barriers. servants it -- certainly the currency manipulation that occurs, 14% over the last year is a tremendous barrier. not just our product, but they also keep korean product out of that marketplace. clearly there are legitimate concerns. if you look at what is being produced today by chrysler, ford, and general motors, you'll find that they are competitive with anything being produced anywhere in the world. it is being produced in a very efficient manner, and it's important to focus on where the companies are today and their laser light focus on being competitive in the global marketplace. >> this tweeted --

>> i am happy to see american autumn of manufacturers get on the quality train. much better, more competitive." robert, your call? caller: the chevy silverado and the gmc sierra, will that outsell the ford 150? guest: i do not know. obviously they are all great products and great cars. i do not know the answer to your question. host: we have been talking with matt blunt, former governor of missouri. currently the president of the american automotive policy council. thanks for being on "the washington journal." about a half-hour left in our program. we are closing down early today because chuck hagel's nomination hearing is being held, beginning

at 9:30. we will bring that to you live beginning at 9:30 this morning. before we close out on the automotive industry, let's check back in at the washington convention center. >> someone who spends a great deal of her time thinking about safety is gay kent with general motors, the crashworthiness general director. what do you do? guest: i have a wonderful team of engineers and technicians, and we are responsible for all the vehicle safety tooting and testing and validation for all the products in north america. host: does that mean airbags or how the vehicle does in a crash? guest: it is all of it. crashworthiness, in terms of how the structure performs. that is a key factor in how we are designing vehicles. but also occupant protection. we talk about air bags and safety belt systems and how they are all tune. but the aspect of crash

avoidance systems, too, that come into a vehicle safety. it is multifaceted, a fascinating job. host: how much washington policy influence is your day-to-day decision making and work? guest: we are focused on the count -- on the customer, at in terms of our products, how we tune them for safety performance. if you think about safety metrics, that is a way to give our customers an indication of how our vehicles perform. the insurance institute for highway safety, their size -- their top six picks, those are the types of concern metrics that we translate into test requirements, and that is what we do to design and to our products to do well in those areas. host: cafe standards come into thinking for how you keep vehicle safe? guest: cafe in terms of how it

relates to light-waiting. -- to light-weighting. host: talk about air bags. use of them in the front, or like in this model year, coming out of the side. how have they changed over the years? guest: now is pretty common where you will see 10 airbags as standard in our products. what we are highlighting today is our newest technology, and this is an industry first, a global first, and this is called the front center air bag. it is being introduced in the buick enclave, chevy travers, and the -- in the event of a side crash, it provides restraint. in the event of a far side crash. but it also provides cushioning. if you think about someone sitting next to you, it provides customer value in that regard. when you look at fatalities --

and we did a field study. we also did this worked in conjunction with an air bag supplier, one of our air bag suppliers. this product is co-developed with them. based on the field performance and looking at side crashes, 39% of fatalities we looked at in crashes were due to side impacts. this became an opportunity to chip away at fatalities and injuries. >> talk a little bit, then -- does this inflate upon impact like most air bags, or is there something different about it? >> in the event of a site crashed or roll over, this air bag will deploy. in the event of a farsighted crash, the driver and i'm hit on the passenger's side, ,bag will

deploy and provide restraint. it will hopefully minimize the likelihood of injuries. >> can you talk about your focus on the consumer as far as to their safety? a lot of technology in the vehicle as far as screens and things like that, people using cellphones when they are driving -- how does that impact would you make as far as safety is concerned? >> we have done this for many, many years -- you are considering the customer, their work load, and you want to keep their eyes up high. in terms of how we integrate our vehicle systems, those are all considerations around the customer. keeping them so that they can focus on the job at hand. eys on the ro -- eyes on the road, hands on the wheel. >> what do you have to do to keep people safe?

>> we are trying to do at a vehicle level, we are translating those and to what kind of structure we need to have for a small car. now you see 10 air bags in the chevy sonic. we can focus on our customer. >> we are out of time, but this is gay kent. thank you very much. >> thank you. host: live coverage from the washington convention center, where the 2013 auto show is being held. we want to turn our attention to defense secretary nomination -- confirmation hearings of chuck hagel, former senator chuck hagel. we will put the lines up on the screen. we would like to get your

viewpoint on chuck hagel as defense secretary, several issues surrounding his nomination. you can see the numbers on the screen divided by political affiliation. you can always tweet us. @cspanwj is our twitter address. or send an e-mail to journal@c- span.org. "hagel wages charm offensive." "chuck hagel has gone on a charm offensive in the lead up to his confirmation hearing today, attempting to lure back the well-founded, aggressive campaign that has saw to depict him as an anti-israel, homophobic politicians eager to get the pentagon's budget. pushback during meetings appears to have been effective,

said an official helping him to prepare for the hearing. the effort to vilify hagel and his record as remain at a bus but has not reached the type of crescendo that has doomed high- profile political nominations in the past. 'we have had a very impressive strategy for tackling some of the issues that have been raised,' the hagel aide said on wednesday, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the nomination's outlook. that is not to say that the confirmation is a foregone conclusion, supporters concede. critics have piled on to the initial critiques with charges that hagel's ties to defense contractors and other private sector firms may create conflict of interest. senator carl levin, the chair of the senate armed services committee, says that hagel will

face tough questions about his past demands. democrats outnumber republicans on the panel 14-12, but committee insiders are not assuming that hagel will get the votes of every democrat. 'the confirmation will not be an easy one,' levin said in a recent interview. 'on the other hand, a lot of people who worked with hagel remember him as well versed in foreign affairs and all qualified.'" we want to get your viewpoint. chuck hagel's confirmation hearing by the senate armed services committee begins at 9:30 and we will go live to that hearing. in the meantime, we want to get your viewpoint on his potential confirmation. you can see on the screen is the

information about the hearing, and you can watch that live online, c-span.org. a group has put out anti-chuck hagel ads. we want to show you that right now. [video clip] >> iran. north korea. >> long-range missile that could target the united states. >> even russia. forbarack obama's nominee secretary of defense wants america to back down. an end to our nuclear program, devastating defense cuts. call kay haga andn tell her to say no to chuck hagel before it is too late. host: "former senator chuck

hage says he will make sure the u.s. military is prepared for any scenario in iran and is committed to all options to counter aggression from tehran. hagel also said he agrees with president obama's plans for steady reductions of u.s. troops in afghanistan, supports u.s. aid for missile systems and israel, and thinks sequester would be devastating, according to a wide-ranging policy answers the nominee for defense secretary submitted to the senate armed services committee. times ahead of the confirmation hearing on thursday." they have a link, the hill.com, to the 112-page document he submitted. "his advance responses to the policy questions shed light on what hagel will say at the hearing, when he will face appointed examination from senators who are opposed to or

have raised concerns about his nomination." palm city, florida. what do you think of chuck hagel for secretary of defense? caller: i think he is an outstanding choice. i cannot think of anyone more qualified. host: why? caller: because of his positions. people talk about the purple hearts and all the things recently, but his positions are of interest to our country. host: robert on our democrats' line. good morning to you c. caller: good morning, sir. thank you for listening to me did i was a navy corpsman, and my experience is that e7, e8, e9 ratings, chief petty officer to master chief, those ratings tend to run the outfit that i have been involved in. we have had officers who have

come aboard our ship, junior officers, and the chiefs were the ones who kind of took them in hand and showed them the ropes about how to operate. i think having an enlisted man with that kind of experience will be helpful as far as the defense department is concerned. he will know what the enlisted man is facing on the ground. that is all i have to say right now. host: in fact, here is a picture of chuck hagel in vietnam in 1968. this is in the "financial times" this morning. "hagel nomination debate revise vietnam coasts." "with the election of mr. obama, who was 14 when the war ended, the u.s. appeared to have escaped the deficit legacy of vietnam that clouded politics for generations. if mr. hagel is confirmed, the

three most prominent figures apart from the president in the countries foreign policy debates -- mr. kerry in the state department, mr. hagel at the pentagon, and mr. mccain, will all derive a substantial part of their legitimacy from vietnam experiences. mr. mccain's relationship with mr. kerr it isy the striking tale of the lingering influence of the vietnam. more than a decade later, mccain traveled to massachusetts to campaign against mr. kerry. yet the pair worked so closely in the cause of reviving relations with vietnam that they became friends. when mr. kerry appeared at a senate confirmation hearing last week, he was introduced by mr.

mccain, who praised his ' exemplary statesmanship.' mr. mccain's relationship with mr. hagel what has gone the opposite way. 'i admire him and consider is friendship to be a treasure of inestimable value to me,' mr. mccain said in 2001. by the time mr. mccain became the presidential candidate and to designate, the relationship had cooled. mr. hagel refused to endorse 'm, telling 'the new yorker' we so fundamentally disagree on our future course of our foreign

policy and our role in the world.' one of mr. hagel's friends agrees that there's been no falling out but adds that iraq is certain to sharpen their differences. mr. hagel voted in favor of military force and iraq but was an early critic of the bush administration's eager drive toward. in 2002, he complained that supporters of invading iraq don't know anything about war." ken in phoenix, arizona, good morning to you. caller: good morning to you. i would like to first say that when i got on the phone, what was on the air was not being read. having said that, i'm a father of a 16-year ego, flying in afghanistan as we speak. when he finishes tour in

vietnam, he was nominated to west point. he played for the u.s. army soccer team. i would like to further say that i am disappointed in the money spent for that soccer field. if they are going to spend it for the soccer field in guantanamo -- i think there are children of the u.s. soldiers that fought over there that could use that money, what they could use the money for their own football field here. i believe that if the enemy is going to be able to watch these hearings, it is not going to be good, because hagel should not be sent into this type of atmosphere and the middle east with so much going on. over there in israel and syria and so forth. hagel obviously has some type of

relationship with both kerry and mccain, and we should wish him a successful experience. i don't know what his position was in the uprisings and goings- on that secretary of state hillary clinton did with regard and theenghazi attacke, lightheadedness of the administration prior to the attack, the request for security not being met. i sincerely offer my condolences for the four people lost their lives. host: all right, ken, thank you for calling from phoenix and sharing a bed of your story. in the senate armed services committee hearing room, this is a live picture on your screen.

this is the dais where the senators and staff will be sitting. hearing table is empty at the moment, with the press taking pictures with senator hagel. as soon as the former senator comes into the room, we will take you to it. preaction prior to the hearing actually is starting. senator hagel will be introduced by former senators, both the chairman of the senate armed services committee, senator sam nunn, democrat from georgia, and senator john warner, republican from virginia. those two will be introducing and endorsing former senator hagel. again, carl levin of michigan is the current share of the senate armed services committee, and john mccain is the ranking member of that committee. michael o'hanlon, who was with the brookings institution in

washington, d.c., a free withift guest on this program and other talk shows, has an op-ed in "usa today." "controversy won't derail hagel choice." "chuck hagel's confirmation hearings as secretary of defense starting today promises to be the most gripping of any of president obama's second term nominations. the former gop senator from nebraska and vietnam war veteran will surely come under fire for his provocative views in a variety of areas. on israel, hagel has criticized aspects of israeli policy, including its residents in engaging with palestinians. in 2006, he said, 'our

relationship with israel as a special an historic one but it need not and cannot be at the expense of our arab. and muslim -- arab and muslim relationships.' on iraq, hagel called the 2007 troop surge 'the most dangerous foreign policy blunder since vietnam.' even some of us who came to defend a policy strongly had initial doubt. in any event, u.s. troops are now home from iraq. on iran, the nominee has expressed doubts over possible u.s. air strikes even as tehran continues its march towards nuclear weapons capability. but the president has declared repeatedly is from the that iran must not be allowed a nuclear weapon. hagel's skepticism about a hard line could be a welcome antidote to a strong consensus leaning towards the use of force in coming months.

on afghanistan, it is important that hagel show an open mindedness about our policy. he has long been a skeptic, but that is ok as long as hagel understands where we are in the campaign plans the and recommends any changes with utmost care." larry, okla., a democrat. please go ahead. caller: i am a democrat, 72- year-old vietnam veteran. i would prefer a democrat, naturally, but hearing and watching about hagel, he seems like a rarity -- a republican with a good sense. so i am all for him. host: greg is from omaha, on the republican line. caller: i just want the country to know the people of nebraska are not supportive of hagel. he could not stand for

reelection in the republican primary because his views changed so radically from when he was elected. people in nebraska are not in sync with his views on foreign policy and defense, and people need to take a hard look at chuck hagel's record, just as we have in nebraska. there were a lot of questions about his disposition and how he treated constituents and staff members. word got around that this was not somebody with a pleasant disposition, that he would be aggressive and attacking to constituents who came to talk to him and his staff, he was difficult to deal with for staff members. people need to take a hard look at his personal habits and his position, like we have in nebraska. host: that was greg from omaha. back to michael o'hanlon's op-ed this morning in "usa today." "the u.s. defense budget is the biggest issue of all for hagel. if confirmed, he will step into a situation where, failing new

congressional budget under the automatic spending cuts due march 1. hagel has said that the defense in many ways has been bloated. i think the pentagon needs to be pared down.' yet one round of defense cuts has already been agreed upon. the cuts are somewhere between $350 billion and $487 billion over the next 10 years. but on march 1, if no further action happens, another $500 billion will be taken out of its 10-year plan. some have noted that annual defense spending would still exceed the cold war average even after such reductions. but the automatic cuts are not wise, and i hope hagel will say no." again, this op-ed is in "usa

today." back to live pictures from the senate armisticearmed services e room. colorado, independent line. you are on "washington journal." what are your thoughts on the secretary of defense nomination? caller:i like it. i think him of being a veteran, he would not put our servicemen in harm's way. i also think that he is trying to cut the military budget and i think he would do it in a way that would not harm us, with his experience in the service. as you know, we have the largest budget, military budget, in the world. we need to cut it down a little bit, a lot of other things.

he did not always go along with the party, and he said what was on his mind. and of course, in politics, that gets you in trouble. but unlike his honesty -- like his honesty. you know where he stands, and he would be working for the present, so if he disagrees with the president, the president would act the way he wanted to do. the appointment would be a very good one. host: thank you for calling in this morning. curtis in nashville, democrats' line. caller: how are you doing? i think hagel will be a good nomination. obama -- i looked the choices he has made, and the obama choices have been great. i trust obama's judgment. hagel -- republicans may have a

lot of things about what he said about israel, but we got to understand about israel as well, we got to understand that the bible teaches on israel, israel should be protected, should require protection if they , but we got to understand, their blood is older than our country -- host: we are going to leave it there. curtis in nashville, thank you for calling in this morning. that was senator wicker we were showing just a few minutes ago, republican of mississippi. here is the headline in "the hill"from yesterday's newspaper. "either panetta testifies on libya or i put a hold on hagel

nomination." "senator lindsey graham said he would put a hold on president obama's nomination of former senator chuck hagel to lead the pentagon unless panetta testifies on what the pentagon did before, during, and after the september 11, 2012 attack on the u.s. facility in benghazi." that is senator wicker and senator blunt. we were talking to matt blunt, the former governor of missouri , a little while ago. senator blunt won election to his first senate term after chuck hagel left the senate. john in new hampshire, independent line, good morning to you. caller: i think they have turned

this into a political football, they being people in washington. his confirmation hearings are just pro-forma, basically. the president wants this guy in the sea. now it has turned into this big this and that. the president should take who he wants and go with what happens. it makes no sense to me and in terms of the political football, and that is what they are doing. it is another way to grandstand, and i see it on both sides, republicans and democrats. nothing i can do about it, but that is my opinion. host: that is john in new hampshire. you just saw senator graham walked into the hearing room. we're going to listen to phil's thoughts. minnesota, republican online. caller: thank you for taking my call. i wanted to point out a couple of things, especially with the

last caller. i agree. i served 20-plus years in the air force, enlisted in the navy as an officer. i want to say that i agree with him that whichever party becomes the president, the president should be able to have those nominations go through unless the individual has a police record or criminal record or whatever. he is so right, this ishas become such a political football it is ridiculous. host: as someone who served in the military, could you tell when there was a different secretary of defense? did it matter to you? caller: i can confirm this -- we had a chief naval officer, cno -- excuse me for using the acronym. after so many years you forget to talk straight. but the chief of naval operations was an enlisted person who became the four-star admiral of the navy. he was an exceptional officer

who led the navy. you can certainly tell when somebody has been in the military, especially like a chuck hagel or john mccain or somebody like that. even john kerry i thought it was horrible the way the republicans, when he ran for president, really slammed his military career. being a veteran, to me that was very disappointing, especially the fact that he and john mccain and chuck hagel were in vietnam, which is something our veterans did not get much respect until lately. host: all right, that is phil in duluth. we appreciate your thoughts. thomas in oklahoma city, democrat. caller: good morning. how you doing to it myself, too, i am a vietnam veteran. chuck hagel has been to combat. he is not in a rush to go into

combat. once you have been in combat, you don't want to go again. second, chuck hagel realizes like most americans, our troops need to come home. we do not need boots in the senate and too quick. -- in the sand again too quick. host: senator hegel be introduced by two former senators, sam nunn, democrat of georgia, and john warner, republican of virginia. uc senator ayotte and senator mccaskill behind her. patty is in knoxville, tennessee. caller: good morning. the problem i have is he is a veteran, and go ahead and appoint a man. op harping on what

happened in the past and what he said and appoint a man. we found out last week that we don't have anybody over at the atf. that may be a problem with out- of-control people with government. have a good day. host: thomas tweets in. back to your calls. paul in brooklyn. good morning. please go ahead. caller: when i think about -- i am doing annual reviews at work, and one of the questions that comes up is what the employee is doing best for themselves or best for the company, and how to they rate on that spectrum. when i look at the nomination process that is going on right now, i look at the senators and, now, i look at the senators and, they are